You moved here fairly recently, from your family home. Do you feel like this space gives you a better sense of security and self?

Oh my God, so much more. I feel like a real person here. In my parents’ house, because I was being abused, I was always scared, always on high alert, hunched up and listening for footsteps because I never knew who would come in and start screaming at me. And because I was so stressed in that house, my room would always be a mess. I had begun to think I was a messy person, but the moment I moved out, I understood myself better. I understood how I wanted to take care of myself, and now I clean my room, for myself, every day. This house has been a safe space for me even before it became my house—this is where two of my friends lived, and it was here that I met my boyfriend for the first time. I feel like it’s been lucky for me; even the shoot with Annie came through here!

What was the first thing you did here that made it feel like home?

I got my mattress in here. It’s a memory- foam mattress and it’s a delight to sleep on and I love it. I suffer from chronic pain, so I need a lot of rest and my bed feels like a sanctuary. I genuinely love sleeping!

Aside from that, setting up the place has been so much fun. Shrujana and I are still in the process of doing it up exactly the way we want to. Right now, we don’t have a lot of money to buy new furniture so we’re doing it in installments: —a single seater from my old house, a couch given to me by a friend who’s moving. I can finally do up my room the way I want to, so I’m going with hearts and a colour scheme of teal and pink and purple.

I’m an artist of some renown at this point, but my parents never put up my art in my old house, insisting that it was not my house. But how can you feel like yourself in a place where you’re not celebrated? It never occurred to me back then that my space ought to reflect who I am, but now that I know this, it definitely does.

What is your favourite part of this house and what do you typically do there?

Actually, my favourite part of the house is that I live with my best friend. We’re like two really crazy, really fun people, who made our own little haven where we’re constantly laughing. It’s fun, but I think waking up every day here and feeling safe is just something else.

But also, the hall is really pretty in the morning because there’s so much sunlight and you can look out and see the trees. And we constantly have friends coming over to hang out, or work or just chill.

If you had one piece of home-related advice for young people like yourself, what would that be?

Don’t stop fighting to get your own space. Don’t stop fighting for the idea of home. Very often, you’ll feel like it doesn’t exist, and that it’s a figment of your imagination, but when you get it, you’ll really flourish. Agency rocks!

I read somewhere that you try to learn something from everyone you meet. What would you say you learned from meeting Annie and having her in your house

Well, it’s not just from meeting her, as she’s done so much work—there’s a huge legacy. As an artist, it really inspires you. Because with art, I think you’re constantly going back and forth, because of the nature of it, and the nature of living as an artist. And then to see her be able to sustain it and just continue working…

Before the shoot happened, I was actually expecting a diva, but Annie was so kind and sweet and humble. And that sets a precedent, right? It taught me that no matter where you go in life, how big you get in whatever sense that may be, to move with kindness in the world leaves people with a good feeling. I hope now that when I meet people, they come away with this feeling.